Phrases

sword of Damocles

James Sugden, the managing director of Johnstons, one of Scotland's leading cashmere manufacturers, said: ‘This threat still hangs over us like a sword of Damocles.’

Looming disaster hangs over the first act like the sword of Damocles, but though there is a frisson as you watch these seemingly unaware people wander round oblivious to the events ahead, things really kick off in the second act.

Christmas day duty, which was being held over our head like a fiscal sword of Damocles, would be no different than any other day.

Derivatives

Damoclean

He had won several trophies during his six-year tenure, and had guided the club into this season's CL, yet this was insufficient to stay the Damoclean sword.

Since 1996 he's had no health problems, but he knows the Damoclean sword is dangling over him and could fall at any time.

Within this ideology, the function of legislation and the legal system is to enable investigation, uncover signs of suspicious deviance, and create Damoclean legal threats for targeted political associations.